I enjoyed the holidays with family. I hope your holidays were full of happy times with people you love. Here’s something to think about as you write in this new year. Intellectual curiosity withers in either or, black or white, up or down, left or right. It thrives on maybe, what if, but, and so, possibly and even though. Intellectual curiosity allows us to look through another’s lens. It forces us to consider viewpoints other than our own. When the world is presented as either or it puts blinders on the intellect. The world is not black and white. It is filled with a kaleidoscope of color. Media Landscape…
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Hoof Print in the Snow
If only I could focus reader attention the way my dog focuses on tracking a deer through the snow. Wait, maybe I can! Remove Distractions Snow blanketed the ground nearly a week ago, masking the usual smells that Dusty loves to sniff on our daily walks. Shrubs marked by other dogs, clumps of native grass flattened by sleeping deer, and bird nests of ground dwelling quail were all buried by inches of snow. So instead of stopping at every bush, tree, and possible ground nest to satisfy her olfactory senses, Dusty has taken to shoving her nose in each hoof print she passes, breathing in what I imagine is the…
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Facts and Opinions
Facts are true for everyone. Grass is green. The sun is hot. Waltzes are in three quarter time. Lemons are sour. Skunks are smelly. Opinions are true for those who hold them. Grass is beautiful. Sunny days are cheerful. Waltzes are boring. Lemons make the best pie. Skunks are my favorite animal. Facts are irrefutable tidbits of information readily confirmed by multiple sources. Opinions are personal perceptions. Why does this Matter? With hundreds of media outlets, each catering to a specific audience, the line blurs between fact and opinion. So what does this mean? Back in the 1970s there were three broadcast networks. Everyone received the same factual reporting regardless…
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Meaningful Writing is Personal
Whether you’re writing a report, an essay, or fiction, the best writing is personal. Writing is a conversation between you and your reader. If they want to look up facts and figures without your personal analysis, there’s always the internet. Readers crave a personal connection with the writing and that’s what you bring to the conversation. Nonfiction Think about the last report you wrote. Was it an assigned topic? If not, how did you choose what to write about? Was your report dull and lifeless or did you pack it with the passion you have for the topic? The best writing always has a personal component. That personal connection allows…
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Persuasive writing
You’ve heard of the power of the pen? I’m pretty sure whoever wrote that was talking about persuasive writing. We are surrounded by persuasive writing: advertisements online or in print; movie posters at the theater; social media feeds; book reviews; letters to the editor; political campaign ads. Anytime someone tries to convince the reader to their way of thinking, that’s persuasive writing. Persuasive writing is a balancing act. Essentially you are making an argument without being argumentative. Let me explain. Let’s say you want to persuade school administrators to keep chocolate milk on the lunch menu. The key is to acknowledge the downsides of chocolate milk. Then state your position.…
